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Jillian Cantor recommends
The Queen of Sugar Hill (2024)ReShonda Tate Billingsley"ReShonda Tate's The Queen of Sugar Hill is an impeccably researched biographical novel about Hattie McDaniel, the first Black person to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind. I loved this fascinating and beautifully written portrait, brimming with heart, heartbreak, and resilience."Fair Rosaline (2023)Natasha Solomons"A brilliant, feminist re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet, Fair Rosaline is a gorgeously written version of Verona from Juliet's cousin, Rosaline's, point of view. What does Romeo truly look like through the eyes of a woman on the periphery of the original story? Natasha Solomons skillfully shows us another version of the star-crossed lovers - and the Romeo --we all think we know. I absolutely devoured this thought-provoking, female-centric take on Shakespeare." Starring Adele Astaire (2023)Eliza Knight"Impeccably researched and beautifully written, Starring Adele Astaire is a peak behind the curtain of what it was like to be a woman and a performer in the 1920s-1940s. Eliza Knight explores the timeless question of whether a woman can truly have it all in this fascinating novel filled with love, heartbreak, resilience, and ultimately friendship." The Half of It (2023)Juliette Fay"Imbued with her trademark warmth and wit, The Half of It by Juliette Fay is a gorgeously written stunner of a novel about family, love, grief, and ultimately, second chances. Fay is a master of creating characters who feel so real, their stories so emotionally resonant - I know that Helen and Cal and their families will linger in my heart long after I turned the last page." Strangers in the Night (2023)Heather Webb"Strangers in the Night is a gorgeously written, impeccably researched historical novel that delves into both the glamour and darkness of old Hollywood, as it details the passionate and tumultuous epic love story of Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra. By turns sexy and heartbreaking, beautiful and volatile, I loved this fascinating peek behind the curtain of a real Hollywood love affair." Wedding of the Season (2023)Lauren Edmondson"Wedding of the Season brings Newport society alive in one summer leading up to a much-anticipated wedding. Filled with sharp, witty dialogue and a gorgeous sense of place, this novel of family, and ultimately the true meaning of home, is as delightful as a perfect summer day." The Liz Taylor Ring (2022)Brenda Janowitz"The Liz Taylor Ring is a gorgeously written multigenerational novel. Brenda Janowitz beautifully weaves stories of love, of motherhood, and of the unbreakable bonds between siblings. I absolutely devoured this dazzling book!" Her Hidden Genius (2022)Marie Benedict"Impeccably researched and beautifully written, Her Hidden Genius is a remarkable story of strength, perseverance, and achievement. Marie Benedict once again shines a light on women in science, vibrantly bringing Rosalind Franklin's genius to life in the pages of her novel." The Pilot's Daughter (2021)Meredith Jaeger"The Pilot's Daughter is a captivating, richly detailed historical novel, following Ellie's journey as she travels to New York with her aunt Iris to attempt to find out what happened to her missing pilot father in WWII. Meredith Jaeger artfully weaves the glittering but also dark Jazz Age of Iris's New York, with Ellie's search for answers there during WWII. An emotional and gorgeously woven story of strong women, fighting for the truth and ultimately, for themselves. I could not put this book down!" When the Summer Was Ours (2021)Roxanne Veletzos"A gorgeously written, impeccably researched historical novel, spanning decades and continents, and filled with a richly drawn cast of characters. Roxanne Veletzos deftly weaves a tale of music, heartbreak, survival, and ultimately, enduring love. I devoured this beautiful, moving book." When We Meet Again (2021)Caroline Beecham"When We Meet Again is a poignant and absorbing novel about a young woman editor personally devastated by the historically true practice of ‘baby farming’ during World War II-era London. Caroline Beecham’s emotional and beautifully written story is a testament to the enduring power of a mother’s love and to the power of books and stories themselves, in even our darkest times." Take What You Can Carry (2021)Gian Sardar"Take What You Can Carry by Gian Sardar is a beautifully written, absorbing novel that swept me away to 1979 Kurdistan and Los Angeles. Filled with richly drawn characters, it’s by turns a love story and a war story, a coming-of-age and a tragedy, but ultimately a story about hope and the depth of family bonds. Lush, atmospheric, and gorgeous, this is an unforgettable novel." The Stars We Share (2021)Rafe Posey"Gorgeously written and impeccably researched, The Stars We Share is by turns a love story, a coming of age story, and ultimately a gripping story of the secrets people keep and the toll they take on a family. I loved this utterly engaging, beautiful, and heartbreaking novel." Leonora in the Morning Light (2021)Michaela Carter"Gorgeously written, meticulously researched. . . . Michaela Carter’s poetic style and vivid prose swept me up into this fascinating and beautifully woven story of love and war and art." The Last Bookshop in London (2021)Madeline Martin"The Last Bookshop in London is a gorgeously written story of love, friendship, and survival set against the backdrop of WWII era London. Madeline Martin’s beautiful novel is a poignant and emotional love letter to books and bookshops themselves, and ultimately a testament to the power of stories to sustain us in even our darkest hours." Those Who Are Saved (2021)Alexis Landau"Those Who Are Saved is a gorgeously written, emotional novel about the unshakable bonds of mothers and daughters, even in the darkest times. Spanning characters and continents during WWII, Alexis Landau’s vividly drawn book swept me up into the lives of Vera, Sasha, and Lucie. An unforgettable story of heartbreak, but ultimately of hope, resilience, and love – I could not put this book down!" Glimmer As You Can (2020)Danielle Martin"Beautifully written…Danielle Martin deftly and exquisitely captures this historical moment and the lives, hopes, and struggles of three women trapped in their circumstances…An enduring story of the power of female friendship." The Nesting Dolls (2020)Alina Adams"The Nesting Dolls is a vividly rendered, sweeping historical novel. Alina Adams deftly portrays three generations of women, beautifully weaving their coming of age stories about love, sacrifice, family, and ultimately survival. I absolutely devoured this compulsively readable gem of a novel." Fast Girls (2020)Elise Hooper"A moving novel of strength, courage, and ultimately perseverance. Expertly researched and deftly crafted...I was absolutely captivated by the lives, struggles, and triumphs of Betty, Helen and Louise." The Last Train to Key West (2020)(Cuba Saga, book 3)Chanel Cleeton"The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton is a gorgeously written, absorbing novel set against the backdrop of a real, devastating hurricane in the Florida Keys in 1935. An addictively good page-turner!" The Imperfects (2020)Amy Meyerson"The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson is an addictive and beautifully written novel about siblings, family secrets and the unraveling of the real historical mystery of the Florentine diamond. Each one of the Miller's well-drawn stories and their search to uncover their matriarch's past, her narrow escape from the Holocaust and her connection to the Florentine diamond, kept me quickly turning the pages. I absolutely devoured this novel--a riveting family saga with the pace of a thriller." This Terrible Beauty (2020)Katrin Schumann"A compelling and richly layered story of love, motherhood, art, and ultimately self-preservation—this is a vivid, rapidly paced historical novel. Unputdownable!" The Light After the War (2020)Anita Abriel"Set against the vividly drawn backdrops of Naples, Caracas and Sydney in the aftermath of WWII, The Light After the War by Anita Abriel is a beautifully written and heartfelt novel. I was completely swept up in Vera’s and Edith’s lives, their friendship, their heartbreaks and their triumphs. An unforgettable story of strength, love, and survival." House on Endless Waters (2020)Emuna Elon"House on Endless Waters is a haunting and lyrical meditation on who we are and where we come from, on how our past shapes our present and our art. Emuna Elon's gorgeously intricate novel is beautifully written and moving." The Girls with No Names (2020)Serena Burdick"Filled with true historical details about life inside a work house for wayward girls in the 1910s, The Girls with No Names is a beautifully written, haunting novel. Burdick gorgeously portrays womanhood and coming-of-age set against the backdrop of the real House of Mercy, but above all, she weaves a stunning story of sisters, friendship, secrets, and ultimately survival. I fell in love with the courageous Effie and Mabel and will not soon forget their stories." The Flight Girls (2019)Noelle Salazar"The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar is an unforgettable and beautifully written historical novel about a fascinating piece of WWII history, the women pilots in the WASP program. Salazar masterfully weaves a story of female strength and friendship, with an emotionally resonant epic love story. I was completely swept up in the life of the fictional Audrey, whose strength, power, and desire to follow her own dream at all costs I found both engaging and inspiring-I could not put this book down!" We Must Be Brave (2019)Frances Liardet"We Must Be Brave by Frances Liardet is a beautifully written story that explores love, loss, resilience, and the bonds of motherhood over the course of the 20th century. A sweeping, heartfelt novel about what it means to truly love a child." The Wartime Sisters (2019)Lynda Cohen Loigman"The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman is a powerful and moving story of secrets, friendship, and sisterhood. In Ruth and Millie, whom we follow from their childhood in Brooklyn to their entwined lives as young mothers at a wartime armory in Springfield, Loigman masterfully portrays the complicated sister relationship. Beautifully written, emotionally charged, and rich with historical detail, this novel, and these sisters, will stay with me long after I turned the last page." Annelies (2019)David R Gillham"In Annelies, David Gillham not only explores what might have happened if Anne Frank had survived, but also draws an intimate portrait of life as a Jewish survivor in post-war Amsterdam. By turns a coming-of-age novel and a story of survival, redemption, and family—Annelies is a meticulously researched, emotionally resonant what-if." Not Our Kind (2018)Kitty Zeldis"Rich, evocative, and atmospheric, NOT OUR KIND by Kitty Zeldis is the story of two very different women whose chance meeting changes both their lives in the late 1940s New York. Zeldis weaves a beautifully written story not only about class and women’s roles, but also about love, friendship, motherhood, and coming of age. I was absolutely captivated by this stunning historical novel." Rush (2018)Lisa Patton"RUSH is a beautifully written coming-of-age novel, set against the backdrop of sorority rush in the south. Lisa Patton weaves an unforgettable story of friendship and the bonds between mothers and daughters, while also exploring larger themes of class, race, and inequality. An extraordinary and important novel – I absolutely loved it!" The Glass Forest (2018)Cynthia Swanson"The Glass Forest is the story of three strong women in the 1960s, one of whom has disappeared. Part family saga, part mystery, part coming of age, this richly detailed historical novel is both a fascinating portrait of a woman's life during this time and a meticulously plotted thriller. I absolutely devoured this gripping and beautifully written novel." 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